Back to Basics

Today is Fathers’ Day, and there are probably some of you who don’t realize that the only “seasonal” sermons I do relate to Christian holidays, such as Advent and Christmas and Lent and Easter. I don’t structure my sermon series around our cultural holidays. If I did,

But I will say something about and to fathers as I start.

Our culture consistently ridicules and devalues fathers. Find me a current TV show in which the father is recognized as smart or relevant. Children are the smart ones and moms are the wise ones, and the dads are the bumbling fools.

Fathers, whether through failure or success, pass something down to their children. It is up to each one of us to choose what it is we will pass down. And this isn’t just a message for biological fathers. Each of us has the opportunity to become spiritual parents to someone. The Apostle Paul was a spiritual father to Timothy. When Paul writes to Timothy, he calls him “My true son in the faith.” (1 Timothy 1:2a)

Who are your spiritual parents? Turn to someone and tell them who your spiritual parent is or was.

What makes a spiritual parent? If Paul is Timothy’s spiritual father, then he probably has something to say on the subject. Will you turn with me to 2 Timothy 3?

You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Paul was a spiritual father to Timothy, so Timothy knew all about his teaching and the way he lived. God is calling each one of us not only to have spiritual parents, but to be spiritual parents. Do you know how to be a spiritual parent? It all starts with relationship with God. Anyone can be a parent, but to be a spiritual parent requires something more. Timothy saw Paul’s life, full of purpose, faith, patience, love, and endurance through persecution and suffering. Paul didn’t just all of a sudden exhibit these traits; they are fruit of the Spirit.

There is only one way to have fruit – it’s by cultivating the Spirit of God living in you. Jesus said it in an analogy: “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5).

There is no shortcut to having the character God desires in you. It doesn’t happen by working harder. It happens by remaining in Jesus. I like the way the King James Version puts it “abide in me.” It’s not just a passive “sitting there” but an active abiding in Him.

You can’t abide in Jesus without being with him, and there are two ways we primarily interact with him: through the Word and through prayer. Paul points Timothy toward the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15). Are you daily in the Word? If not, you’re not abiding in Him, and you’re ignoring the vessel by which God calls you toward wisdom, salvation, and faith. I can’t stress enough that we as Christians absolutely must be in the Word of God. Why? Because All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Scripture is God-breathed. It is God’s life, poured into us. Think of it this way: we’re all on life-support, and Scripture is our breathing tube. God has breathed His breath into it, and through it, into us. Without it, we do not have life. Plain and simple. So if you’re away from Scripture, don’t expect to live the abundant life God has in store for you. Expect, instead, to be wheezing and hacking, trying to breathe.

And please, don’t even try to teach, rebuke, or correct anyone aside from Scripture. If you’re not in the Word, you don’t have any right to tell anyone else what to do. None. If we’re not getting our authority from Scripture, which is breathed by God Himself, then we have no leg to stand on. If we’re deriving authority from anywhere else, it’s your authority against mine, and we’ve got to figure out some other way to determine whose way is followed. The usual way is might makes right, meaning bullies get their way. Sometimes a vote is taken, which can sometimes provide a decent outcome, but just because something is popular does not make it right.

Scripture also equips us for every good work. Can you imagine what would happen if we read the Scriptures and actually believed that they were true? If we actually believed that we have the same power that the Apostles did? If we believed that God might actually work through the weak and powerless to show his power and might? If we believed that God would actually take care of us, that money or armies will not save us?

The Bible equips us for every good work by telling us who God is – how powerful and mighty and awesome and loving and caring he is – and by telling us who we are. Genesis 1:27 tells us that we are created by God in God’s image. Psalm 139 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made, that God knows us completely. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Have you ever felt unworthy to do something? Well, you’re not unworthy. In fact, God made you on purpose, for a purpose. Anyone who works with tools knows that there is a right tool for every job. God made you precisely to do good works, and you’ll know that if you’re in the Word. You will know that you’re a new creation. You’ll know that you are loved. You’ll know that there is no condemnation for you if you’re in Christ Jesus.

Satan is always active, and his job is deception. The scripture I read earlier tells us that imposters go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Of course they will, because we all imitate our father, whether our father is God or the father of lies. And without a thorough knowledge of the Bible, it’s hard to tell when you’re being deceived. Cults love to quote the Bible, but they won’t give you the full body of Scripture, just a verse here and a verse there, just enough to justify their position. If you don’t want to be deceived, get in the Word! There is no excuse not to be in the Word. None at all.

Likewise, there’s no reason not to pray. We are really good at shortchanging God in prayer. The Bible tells us to be persistent in prayer, and at Annual Conference, Pastor Terry Teykl said we microwave our prayers when God wants us to marinate them. This isn’t the Ronco Rotisserie Oven of prayer – you can’t just set it and forget it.

Pray for leaders in our denomination, conference, and district. Someone was recently complaining about a decision the bishop made, and how could we possibly be an obedient church, and I responded by asking, “What has the Holy Spirit told you in your prayer time for the bishop?” I don’t think she had been regularly praying for the bishop. Pray for the bishop, and for the process which will bring a new bishop to the West Ohio Conference next year. Pray for our current District Superintendent, Hank Stringer, who is retiring, and our incoming District Superintendent, Barbara Sholis.

Are you regularly praying for the president?  For the election next year?

Terry Teykl introduced the conference to the concept of having a Most Wanted list. He related a story of meeting a woman and talking to her and she dropped a paper labeled “Wanted” – and it had a list of people’s names. She explained that it was a list of people whose salvation she is praying for. In college we called it the 2+ program; we each committed to pray for two people. It was the coolest thing to catch up with a couple of those guys on Facebook, some 15 years after graduation, and to find that they are living solid Christian lives, leading their families to know, love, and serve Jesus.

Who is on your “wanted” list? Whose salvation are you praying for? I am only aware of three families in the church who are actively involving others in praying for their unsaved family members. Why do we limit our prayer requests to sick people? That’s just wrong. What happens if they do get well and never know Jesus?

I have been stressing the need to reach others with the Good News of Jesus Christ – can you imagine what God might do if we start committing to deep prayer for our unsaved friends, family members, co-workers, and neighbors? Terry Teykl told us: before you talk to your neighbors about God, talk to God about your neighbors. But he also related a word he received from God in prayer: “If you pray for the lost, I will give them to you.”

Are you praying for lost people? James 4:2 tells us: You do not have because you do not ask God. If you pray for nothing, what do you get?

We have had some powerful prayer meetings on Sunday evenings, but honestly it’s kind of sad that we usually only have five or six people show up to pray, especially when four of them have the same last name. With that in mind, how have you been praying for the church? I know I have been praying for God’s will in this church since before I came here, and some of you have been praying the same way for many more years. It can be easy to get discouraged, especially when numbers are down.

United Methodists are always aware of numbers. Honestly, our local church is not much different than the rest of American UM churches, where attendance is down 650,000 in the past 10 years. There are all sorts of reasons for this decline, and I can’t speak for other congregations, but locally, much of it has been pruning. There are people who have participated because of who is here. This has been the place to be and the place to be seen.

And when it’s not all about meeting Jesus, then we have horribly missed the point. I know people who have left because others in this congregation have chased them off. This is why Paul told Timothy: Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene. (2 Timothy 2:16-17a). I know the gangrene isn’t completely rooted out yet, even as we have experienced pruning. Some of you are still influenced by the godless chatter.

If you’re experiencing that, it’s time to do some pruning yourself. As Christians, we are always to be reaching out to people who don’t yet know Jesus, but those who claim to know him, the ones who Eric called out last week, the ones who have been in church for years but aren’t bearing any fruit, get off the fence! Make a decision! You’re either for Him or you’re not, and if you’re not bearing any fruit, you’re against Him. Now is the time to make a decision.

Paul reminded Timothy that persecution will come to those who choose Jesus. It’s not a matter of “if” – it’s a matter of “when”. Persecution will come, because Satan doesn’t want anyone to be saved. But listen to what he wrote to Timothy about it. He said You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings – what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured.

 In Antioch, Paul preached brilliantly, but the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paula and Barnabas, and expelled them from the region. (Acts 13:50)

So they went to Iconium, and they spent considerable time there, speaking God’s Truth boldly. God enabled them to do miraculous signs and wonders, and the people were divided. Some of the Gentiles and Jews plotted together with their leaders to mistreat and stone Paul and Barnabas, so they fled, continually preaching the Good News.

In Lystra, after Paul had miraculously healed a crippled man, the people thought he was Zeus and tried to sacrifice to him, but he wouldn’t let them. Then some Jews came from Iconium and Antioch and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. (Acts 14:19).

You might be thinking, “Wow – that’s not what I want to sign up for.” Which is a better choice: to undergo persecution now, or endure Hell for eternity?

Besides, when Paul is writing to Timothy, he didn’t stop at persecution. He went on to say: Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. (2 Timothy 3:11b)

Maybe you need some rescuing today. Maybe you’re in the midst of something. I think it’s appropriate to finish up this morning in prayer for one another.